Book Description
This text describes all the military and civil aircraft built by Westland since the N.1B single-seat seaplane. The helicopters, built now in close collaboration with Sikorsky, and used by armed forces throughout the world, are described in detail. Westland began by building numerous de Havilland, Short, Sopwith and Vickers types before embarking on its own designs. There followed a wide variety of types, military and civil, some long-forgotten and others still remembered with affection. These include the ungainly Walrus, the impossible-to-describe Dreadnought, the Widgeons, several Pterodactyls, the beautifully proportioned Wizard, the famous Wapiti, the Wallace, Lysander, Whirlwind, Welkin and Wyvern. The first aeroplanes to fly over Everest came from the Westland stable. ... Read more

Book Description
Using COLOUR throughout, this book traces the evolution of the British railway carriage, from the dawn of the railway age, to the BR Mk1s of the 1950/60s. Each view is accompanied by an informative caption. ... Read more

Book Description
Between 1918 and 1986 the marine branch of the Royal Air Force provided rescue facilities, support and other services to this armed service.In its pre-1941 guise as the Air Sea Rescue service, the RAF had an inventory of over 200 motorboats, supported by float aircraft engaged in rescue, towing, refueling and servicing RAF aircraft.Amongst the many characters of this early period was none other than Lawrence of Arabia.

The Marine Craft Section itself came into existence in February 1941 as a direct result of the compelling need to retrieve downed pilots from the sea.Initially the craft were lightly armed, but as the chivalry between the British and the German rescue services deteriorated, the launches became heavily armed craft, not only capable of defense but also attack.They were supported by a wide variety of aircraft, including Lysanders and Walruses.The ASR was involved in Dieppe and D-Day and operated in the Mediterranean and the Far East. During the war years alone over 13,000 aircraft crew were saved by the ASR service, in addition to the many hundreds of other servicemen whose vessels had been hit by mines or had fallen prey to submarines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Enlightening and frightening, but it's about time
My dad is a survivor of the sinking of the ROHNA.He never talked about it, I think it was too overwhelming for him, and now he is attending reunions and talking, but before that all my sisters and I had was CarltonJackson's book. It gave us the story he had difficulty telling us. I wasoverwhelmed and shocked at how lucky he was to be able to swim, and thehell he went through.He was even scheduled for KP on the day of the hit,so I'm glad he wasn't in the kitchen area.Thank you, Carlton, for thestory, now if more people could find out on A&E or the History Channelbefore they are all gone, there are only about 230 men left and they areages 77-80.Let's go people. These men were heroes!Thank you

Your book was terrific!Raymond Alvarado (survivor)
Carlton, I know you are on the mailing list for the Torch of Remembrance Mile Hi Salute quarterly newsletter.So you know that I let over 800 (42 in foreign countries) people (mailing list) know about your book.My plan is to get to know how to use the Internet because I want to send the quarterly newsletter out on it, under the HMT Rohna Web site.Is there such a Web site?Please contact me at peach2drew@aol.com if you can help me out on this.Thank you, Carlton for writing history ignored, the sinking of the HMT Rohna.The goal, for the Torch of Remembrance is to erect a National Memorial Monument in Denver, Colorado, to honor all the HMT Rohna victims and 236 survivors, of the almost 2,000 soldiers.We are meeting with Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell in two weeks to show him the design.He said he wanted to help us.Waiting for you response.Thanks again.. ... Read more

Book Description
Great Britain has its own version of the Bermuda Triangle, the notorious South Southeast 1650 Line, where an unusual number of aviation accidents and disappearances have taken place, which receive their first in-depth investigation in this fascinating volume. ... Read more

Book Description
From his large collection of COLOUR images of British stations, the author has selected a range of views from the 1950s to the 1970s. The stations are arranged according to their BR regions. All the regions, including the short-lived North Eastern region, are well represented. ... Read more

Book Description
Steam, Politics and Patronage is an important new interpretation of that complete transformation of the Royal Navy which took place in the years between the Napoleonic and Russian wars, and it sets out to show how the Admiralty, far from being obstructive to the introduction of steam power grasped those opportunities which came with the industrial revolution. Faced with the combined threat, real or imaginary, of France and Russia, the Navy pressed ahead with inovations as fast as technical developments and financial stringency allowed.

The birth of the steam warship is a complex subject and involves naval, political. social. industrial. financial amd merchant shipping developments, and to help in drawing together these different threada the authors have drawn particularly from the papers of Captain Henry Wells Giffard whose career illustrates perfectly many aspects of the subject covered in the book. His papers also give a fascinating insight into the workings of the Admiralty and brings to life the ships and people who are the protagonists of this story. ... Read more

Book Description
The English Electric Company was established in 1918 to amalgamate the electrical and mechanical interests of a number of companies which included the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Co and the Coventry Ordnance Works, both of which had produced their own aeroplanes.

This work records the Phoenix and COW designs and other related types before dealing with those bearing the English Electric designation which began with the Wren of 1923 and continued into recent times with the Canberra and the Lightning. The design, development and histories of all these types are covered in the usual Putnam detail and there are production lists and service histories, including those of the United States built Martin B57 version of the Canberra.

The authors were given full access to the company's archives and to the records of its most famous designer, W O Manning. Projects ranging from early flying boats to supersonic and VTOL airliners are listed, with many illustrated by three-view drawings. Some 250 photographs are also included.

Stephen Ransom and Robert Fairclough have had a long association with English Electric and its descendants. ... Read more

Book Description
On 13 January 1942 hundreds of army and air force servicemen due to sail from Durban on the British troopship City of Canterbury refused to board the vessel in defiance of their commanders and of the British Military and Naval authorities in South Africa. Gerry Rubin sees this unusual and dramatic incident in the round. Besides examining the legal case itself, its precedents and its outcome, he looks at both the human factors involved and at the wider background. In so doing he deals with a little-mentioned aspect of the war but one familiar to hundreds of thousands of servicemen: the journey by troopship via the Cape to the Middle and Far East. ... Read more

Book Description
The single largest class of new locomotive to be constructed after the Nationalization of Britain's railroads in 1948, the 251 representatives of the Riddles-designed Class 9F 2-10-0 were amongst the most powerful steam locomotives ever constructed in the United Kingdom.

Book Description
Although, in the public consciousness, White Star Line will be forever associated with a single liner and a single tragic event - the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 - the shipping line had a history that stretched back to the early 19th century and was to survive as a separate entity until its acquisition by Cunard in the mid-1930s. Although, undoubtedly, Titanic was the line's best-known liner, she was only one of countless vessels operated by the company over its more than 100-year life. In addition to the Titanic's sister ships, the Britannic and Olympic, White Star owned, chartered or loaded several hundred vessels ranging from the prestigious lines through to tenders and tugs. In its later years, the company's vessels regularly adopted names ending in 'ic', making them readily identifiable to all who knew the North Atlantic sea routes. The last wholly-new White Star Line vessel, the third liner to bear the name Britannic, entered service as late as 1930 and was to survive until 1960 - the last of the line. Drawn from the extensive collection of Robert McDougall, which has been compiled over many years, supplemented with detailed captions by Robin Gardiner, author of the highly successful History of White Star Line, White Star Line in Picture Postcards is an exploration of the history of the company and its sizeable fleet through the medium of some 220 historic postcards. These cards portray the great range of White Star Line's vessels and operations in the 20th century. From the late 19th century onwards, shipping companies became aware of the marketing potential of the picture postcard and White Star line was not alone in seeing its vessels reproduced on both official and unofficial cards and, almost a century after White Star's apogee, these cards represent a superb archive reflecting the nature of transatlantic travel in the age of steam. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Richard Hillary was born in Australia in 1919 and brought up in England. Oxford educated, he was a writer foremost who was also a fighter pilot. When World War Two came he joined 603 Sqn and became an ace in the Battle of Britain. His life changed when he was shot down in September 1940, suffering severe burns to his face and hands. During a long and painful recovery he wrote the wartime classic The Last Enemy, an outstanding literary contribution. Anxious to return to flying, he pushed himself to the limit and was killed when his Blenheim crashed in 'mysterious' circumstances on 8 January 1943. He was aged only 23.

He had by then become a legend, a courageous hero, not without his faults, around whom a cult following has developed. Over years, David Ross patiently researched all relevant papers and documents, including from the Richard Hillary Trust Archive in Oxford, and talked at length to Hillary's contemporaries. This eminently readable, first complete biography with many previously unseen photos sets the record straight, and now appears in paperback for the first time, with new photographic material.

David Ross is currently working on a definitive history of 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron R AUX F and his biography of Gerald Stapleton, Stapme, is also being published in 2002 by Grub Street. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A superbly researched and written biography
Richard Hillary was a decorated fighter pilot who flew and fought in the Battle of Britain during the some of darkest days of World War II. He became an ace pilot and was shot down in September 1940 by enemy fire, experiencing severe facial burns. During a painful recovery he wrote the wartime classic, The Last Enemy under the pen name David Ross. He returned to flying but was killed in a Blenheim on January 8, 1943, at the age of 23. Richard Hillary is a superbly researched and written biography of a remarkable young man and highly recommended reading, especially for anyone with an interest in World War II, the Battle of Britain, and the young men who stood against a seemingly overwhelming tyranny.

Best Biography I've read
A biography of a fighter pilot and author.

This book expertly captures the emotions of the time in which it is set whilst giving us an in depth look at the life of one of our Battle of Britain heros.

It is extremely well researched and puts right many of the inaccuracies of previous publications. If you have read The Last Enemy, then this is a 'must read'. It will appeal to a broad spectrum; not only those interested in aviation, history or the lives of authors and pilots. This is not your standard military aviation book, it is full of facts, yes, but it is also an exciting, emotive and most of all, enriching read.

I have never read a book on squadron history but will definitely read this authors book to be published next year on No. 603 squadron (Richard Hillarys squadron based in Edinburgh).

Finally, don't be put off by the size of it....it's a great read with plenty of photos (some never seen in the public domain before)! ... Read more

Book Description
In this book, the sequel to the highly-acclaimed Warrior to Dreadnought, David Brown brings his knowledge and experience as a warship designer to the story of the Royal Navy's development of World War I warships and the influence of that conflict on future warship design. The building of the new Dreadnought battleships and the controversial battlecruisers are covered in this book, as well as developments in the design of cruisers and smaller craft, and the new weapons of naval warfare--submarines and aircraft carriers. Brown provides a full analysis of the experience of battle damage along with an examination of the effect that damage had on post-World War I designs to the Washington Naval Treaty of 1923.

Heavily illustrated with 200 contemporary photographs and line drawings of the most significant ships, this book will be a vital addition to the collections of naval historians and enthusiasts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

covers design process from a new angle
This is not a "how to design a battleship" book like Norman Friedman's excellent work, nor a design review and history like R. A. Burt or Oscar Parkes might produce, but more a technical history of which problems and threats were understood and when, what technologies were available to address them, and how warship design evolved to accomodate them.

He has fascinating sections on oil fuel, masting etc. He povides many charts and graphs, including such things as incidence of seasickness by length of ship! Overall, this is a wonderful resource for wargamers.

A mixed-bag.
I was somewhat disappointed in "The Grand Fleet 1906-1922," this latest effort by D.K. Brown. It's just not up to the standard of his earlier works, of which I have a high regard.

He second guesses US designer's analysis of British ships (like I always say, 20-20 hindsight is a wonderful thing) but then admits that these were probably for ships for which he (Brown) lacks references for. He then puts up future DNC Goodall's contemporary analysis of US designs without noting the errors contained in them that have been exposed for literally decades (see Friedman's "US Battleships" for one).

Mr. Brown also raises the old bug-a-boo about the all-or-nothing protection scheme of the "Standards" as being possibly overwhelmed by numerous hits on their unprotected ends. Somehow, he seems to be forgetting the fact that every post-war British capital ship design used nearly the same scheme, to say nothing that such fears were shown groundless by the pummeling that the USS Colorado received during WWII. If the all-or-nothing protection scheme was so bad, why then was it copied in most of its essentials in British post-WWI capital ship designs? Why didn't the Nelson's, KGV's, Lion's and Vanguard continue to use the incremental armor scheme so favored in the pre-war dreadnoughts? Perhaps Mr. Brown is saving such thoughts for the next volume in this series, but it's a glaring omission, nonetheless.

But, my very favorite passage was where Mr. Brown discusses the wartime exploits of British battlecruisers.In what can only be called revisionist history, Mr. Brown states that "the author believes that the basic concept of the battlecruiser was sound.Invincible's glorious career at Heligoland Bight, Falklands and Jutland justifies that statement.The three magazine explosions at Jutland (and the later case of Hood) have obscured the real value of such ships."

Sorry, but that just reminds this reader of that famous U.S. saying, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?"The exploits of a single ship, no matter how glorious, can not be said to justify a ship type that is most remembered for "sinking and leaving barely enough survivors to man a Yugo," to use a phrase I wish I'd thought of first (my hat's off to Cen).I'm afraid that the author's admiration for these ships' undeniably powerful appearance has kept him from applying his considerable talent for design analysis to their equally obvious flaws.

That said, this book does offer very interesting insights into the ships of all classes being built in Britain in the 1906-22 time frame. If you stick to following what the author knows best, the British design process, you won't go far wrong. His examples of British naval design thinking are mostly original, and include details for the lessor known ships, such as destroyers and submarines, that are so hard to find for pre-WWI vessels.

Finally, he cleared up something that has always puzzled me; why the British were so reluctant to fit super-firing turrets on their warships. For that alone, this book was a worthy addition to my library.

The Grand Fleet
The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922 covers exactly what the title sugggests, the developement of primarily the British fleet in the years leading up to, during and immediately after World War I. In myopinion this was a well written scholarly book that focuses on the designprocess and underlying assumptions that led to the developement of themodern battleship navy. The work is broken down into sections for eachclass of ship, I found the section on aircraft carriers to be extremelyinformative on the British methods of carrier operations and thedevelopement of this naval arm. Each section is chock full of technicaldrawings and photos of the ships concerned. The actual descriptions of theshipos in combat during the World War is rather limited so I would notconsider this book as a source for combat operations, the focus of thisvolume is on naval architecture. If you read John Massey's Dreadnought andare seeking more technical information then this book is definetely foryou. If you are looking for a light read then I would steer elsewhere. ... Read more

Book Description
From the very early days Fairey was one of the great names in British aviation, and although its successors no longer build aircraft, the name continues in other aeronautical spheres. During the long period form the 191418 war until well after the Second World War, Fairey's name was always associated with British naval aircraft--there was the long series of Fairey IIIs which served the Royal Naval Air Service and the Fleet Air Arm and which in its final form saw widespread service with the RAF before being developed into the Gordon and the Seal.

One of the best-remembered and best-loved aeroplanes was the Swordfish--a multipurpose biplane which outlived its intended successor, the Albacore. Fulmars, Firefly monoplanes and Barracudas all played a wartime role. The final Fairey naval aeroplane was the Ganneta unique twin-engined aeroplane having the layout and appearance of a single-engined type. All these types, and many others, are fully described and illustrated by photographs and three-view drawings, and there is a complete listing of aircraft by constructor's numbers.

H A Taylor worked for the Fairey group and brings personal knowledge of some of its activities and individuals to bear in the writing of this book. ... Read more

Book Description
This Official History of the Royal Yacht has the full unprecedented support of Her Majesty the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh. As part of his research the author has interviewed a cross section of those involved in the story of this great ship from members of the Royal Family through to the junior Royal Yachtsmen as well as those who built her and those involved in her preservation. Moreover, many of the photographs have been made available by the Ministry Of Defence and Royal Archives including a number of informal photographs of the Royal Family.

This is the only fully comprehensive book on the subject featuring exclusive first-hand accounts from members of the Royal Family, politicians, designers and crew

Written with the full support of the Royal Family and presenting numerous unpublished photographs and a full history of the yacht's career

Published to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the launch of HMY Britannia

Copiously illustrated with over 200 photographs and artworks, many of which are in color

In addition to her many and varied official duties Britannia provided the Royal Family with a place to relax, in particular the Royal Family's annual cruise of the Western Isles and was also increasingly used with considerable success to promote British industry abroad. She was decommissioned on 11th December 1997 and subsequently preserved in Leith outside of Edinburgh in Scotland

... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Armor, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1763 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Armor advances worldwide.
Author: Richard M. Ogorkiewicz
Publication: Armor (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 116Issue: 1Page: 45(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
The eighteenth century equivalent of the cruiser, the frigate was used for a wide variety of roles from fleet reconnaissance to patrolling sea lanes. Built in 1793, Diana was a typical British frigate of the period, whose long and active career spanned virtually all of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. In 1815 she was sold to the Dutch navy, which she continued to serve until destroyed by an accidental fire in 1839. First published in 1987, this popular volume includes a new large-scale plan of the ship on the reverse of the extended fold-out jacket and over 100 perspective and three-dimensional drawings accompanied by in-depth descriptive keys and photos. Both accurate and impressively detailed, this volume is an essential reference for age of sail enthusiasts and modelers alike. 24 photographs. 300 line drawings.101/2 x 91/2 inches. ... Read more